Pelargonium plant named ‘Camwhi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Regal Geranium plant named ‘Camwhi’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; white-colored flowers; and no requirement for a cooling treatment for flower initiation and development.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium grandiflorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘CAMWHI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of RegalGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium grandiflorum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Camwhi’.

The new Regal Geranium plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new early flowering Regal Geranium plantsthat do not require a cooling treatment for flower development.

The new Regal Geranium plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor in Dresden, Germany during the summer of 2009 of twounnamed proprietary selections of Pelargonium grandiflorum, notpatented. The new Regal Geranium plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden,Germany during the spring of 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Regal Geranium plant by vegetativeterminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden,Germany since October, 2010 has shown that the unique features of thisnew Regal Geranium plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Regal Geranium have not been observed under allpossible combinations of environmental conditions and culturalpractices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with various environmentalconditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Camwhi’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Camwhi’ as a new and distinct Regal Geraniumplant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant        habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely basal branching habit.    -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   5. White-colored flowers.    -   6. No required cooling treatment for flower development.

Plants of the new Regal Geranium differ primarily from plants of theparent selections in flower color. In addition, plants of the new RegalGeranium are more uniform than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Regal Geranium can also be compared to plants of thePelargonium grandiflorum ‘Regpet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.20,909. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany,plants of the new Regal Geranium differed from plants of ‘Regpet’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Regal Geranium were more compact than and        not as vigorous as plants of ‘Regpet’.    -   2. Plants of the new Regal Geranium had smaller leaves than        plants of ‘Regpet’.    -   3. Plants of the new Regal Geranium had smaller flowers than        plants of ‘Regpet’.    -   4. Plants of the new Regal Geranium and ‘Regpet’ differed in        flower color as plants of ‘Regpet’ had white and purple        bi-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Regal Geranium plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Regal Geranium plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Camwhi’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the winter, spring and summer in19-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany andunder cultural practices which closely approximate commercial RegalGeranium production. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures averaged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 16° C. andlight levels ranged from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were sixmonths old when the photograph was taken and nine months old when thedescription was taken. In the detailed description, color references aremade to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium grandiflorum ‘Camwhi’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Pelargonium grandiflorum, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Pelargonium grandiflorum, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and            winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright, outwardly spreading and            uniformly mounded plant habit; inverted triangle; densely            foliated; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely basal            branching habit with numerous lateral branches developing            per plant.        -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 40 cm.        -   Plant height, to top of leaves.—About 35 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Internode length: About 2 cm. Texture: Moderately pubescent.            Color: Close to 144A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate or opposite; simple.        -   Length.—About 4 cm.        -   Width.—About 5 cm.        -   Shape.—Cordate; palmately lobed.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cordate, open.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent;            leathery.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137C; venation, close to 137C. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B; venation,            close to 144A. Zonation pattern: Not discernible.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Moderately pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Single rotate            flowers arranged in inversely conical umbels arising from            apical leaf axils; umbels displayed above the foliar plane            on strong peduncles; flowers face upright to outwardly;            freely flowering habit; about five flowers per umbel.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants begin            flowering about five months after planting; in outdoor            gardens in Germany, plants flower from spring until frost;            plants do not require a cooling treatment for flower            initiation and development.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two weeks on the plant;            flowers not persistent.        -   Umbel height.—About 6 cm.        -   Umbel diameter.—About 10 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 4 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 3 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Spindle-shaped. Color: Close to 146A.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five or six arranged in a            single whorl; petals imbricate. Length, upper petals: About            3.3 cm. Length, lower petals: About 3.1 cm. Width, upper            petals: About 2.8 cm. Width, lower petals: About 2.4 cm.            Shape, all petals: Obovate. Apex, all petals: Rounded. Base,            all petals: Cuneate. Margin, all petals: Entire. Texture,            all petals, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            satiny. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:            Close to 155D. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:            Close to 155D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five or six, arranged in a            single whorl. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 4 mm.            Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 146B.        -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Slightly outwardly slanted.            Texture: Moderately pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.        -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.5 cm.            Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength: Strong; flexible. Texture:            Moderately pubescent. Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            About ten. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Tubular.            Anther color: Close to 72A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen            color: Close to 171A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower:            One. Pistil length: About 1.5 cm. Stigma shape: Five to            six-parted. Stigma color: Close to 61A. Style length: About            7 mm. Style color: Close to 61C. Ovary color: Close to 147C.            Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Regal Geranium.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Regal Geranium have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Regal    Geranium plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Regal Geranium have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about    35° C. to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Regal Geranium plant named ‘Camwhi’as illustrated and described.